The Bezuidenhout Story

A compilation of things, occasions, happenings and growth in the Bezuidenhout and our related families, as remembered and compiled by John Bezuidenhout.

(Hopefully it will become a Biography or maybe just a lot of confessions or who knows maybe a valuable Historical document, or a banned novel.)

By way of introduction, the author, John Leonard, firstly confesses that he writes only from memory things he was both told and also experienced or witnessed over many years.

I was born on 19 December 1930, in Brakpan. I think in Wendon avenue.

Our Earthly Father:       

PIETER JACOBUS NICOLAS BEZUIDENHOUT

17 May 1904 - 1969

Our Mother

ANNA MARGERET deWITT nee GOMBART

9 March 1898 - 1990

Mr. deWitt passed away and Anna (mother) then married

P.J. Bezuidenhout. 1923

Our parents, rather poor folks during those 'depression' years, lived in a stable which Dad converted into rooms. These belonged to a Jewish lady for whom our mother was sewing, in return for the rooms. They later moved to a cottage attached to the Salvation Army hall, and this is how it came about:

Dad was working on the Railways as a guard in the 'van' on the run between Brakpan and Volksrust. 

On a day, probably mid year, when Mother was expecting Dad to return from his three day journey, as she was preparing food, she suddenly found herself praying, (something foreign to her) and God spoke to her and 'called' her into His service. This experience was so wonderful to her that she decided to go and meet Dad at the station and tell him what had happened to her.

Mother was expecting me at the time and Piet was nearly three years old. She put Piet into the push cart and rushed to the station, to tell Dad about the experience.

To her surprise, Dad could not wait to get to her and rushed to tell her of the experience he had had on the train. Seemingly at the same time as mothers 'kitchen' experience, Dad had a similar experience in the van of the train.

He for the first time found himself on his knees praying.

That was when God called them into the ministry. 

Not being 'church' people they turned to the nearest church, the Salvation Army, where the Officer was Ensign John Leonard Sullivan. After listening to their 'testimony' he prayed with them and got them into the 'Army'.

He led them to the Lord and immediately enrolled them in service for God. He was a man of God and obviously recognized the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Not long after this I was born and given the names John Leonard. (Throughout my younger school days I was known as John Leonard Sullivan Bezuidenhout.) 

God worked in the lives of our parents and soon Dad was playing in the Band and testifying in the Open Air meetings. Mother sold the 'War Cry' in pubs and on the streets. (The War Cry is the Salvation Army's official paper.)

Their sojourn in the Army was probably for 4 years. They were then Baptized in the Baptist church and Dad continued to pursue God's calling and preached on the street corners in Brakpan. I was only little, two-and-a-half to four years old but very positively and vividly remember those 'open air meetings'. Piet and I sitting on the street kerb while Dad and Mom was preaching and singing on the streets in Brakpan.

Their favorite song was, 'Jesus is able to save, put Him to the test and He will give you sweet rest, Jesus is able to save'. (I am persuing the words of the song as well as the dates of Ensign Sullivan's Service in Brakpan.) 

Dad had a God anointed ministry and in 1936/7 already ministering in house meetings in the homes of the Van Zyl's and Ebertsohn's I can remember the Van Zyl's offspring and some of our family are still friends now. ie Andre & Ellen…the children of Danie and Girly. (50 years later I found a picture of Girly in our family album. I duly returned it to them and it resulted in a lovely re-union. At that time I gave Danie, a philatelist, a huge collection of stamps.)

We moved to Benoni in 1937.

Dad got work with Neasers Funeral Undertakers

In that year Dad was called into the ministry of the Full Gospel Church and worked as an Evangelist and later as Pastor. He ministered regularly in the Randfontein church where pastor Van Heerden was the Pastor. (The father of (Ampie) Abram and Pieter - both also in the ministry, and who held Dad in high regard.)

Pastor A.B du Plessis from Rustenburg, Pastor van Jaarsveld from Pretoria north, Pastor Stanley Green from Germiston. (Here Anna and I sang our first and last duet, The Old Rugged Cross.) Dr Howard-Browne from Pentecostal Bible College, Pietermaritzburg. 

Dr Saaiman the moderator of the Full Gospel Church, Pastor Boy Schimper and Dad held a tent campaign in Roodepoort to establish a church there, and I can recall Dr Saaiman saying to Dad after Dad had preached the Word, 'Broer Bezuidenhout, jy moet die Dokter wees, nie ek nie!' ('Brother Bezuidenhout, *you* are the Doctor, not me!') That's what The anointing does.

Dad helped out in the Alberton assembly for a while but his main aim was to start a work in Kempton Park. There he started with 'open air' meetings and then in the very small house of the Riley family. Dad then pursued what he believed was God's calling and by faith, built the church in Kempton Park at 61 Maxwell Street. Julius painted the scene in the Baptistry and I glazed the church windows, after school and week ends. Dad personally did most of the brick and carpentry work. That was in 1944.

He also built the manse at No. 63 Maxwell street. I seem to think that the house was sold to Anna Neethling Pohl, and Dad received 4 oil paintings as part payment. These are still in the family. (With Anna and Cynthia.)

I have thus far said very little about mother. However, she stood by Dad and worked alongside him and was the prayer warrior that new the mind of God.

I should maybe just mention two incidents of God's direct leading in their ministry:

Dad got home one afternoon and Mom having been in prayer told him that God wants them to go to Brakpan. No address or plans... just go. After spending a time in prayer they set out for Brakpan. Not knowing where or for what reason. They were miraculously led to a house where a lady was seriously ill, and some family had gathered. Dad knocked and asked if there was a need as he had been led to the house. Having been told of the dying lady, and then offering to pray for her, some present virtually scorned but he and Mom kindly persisted, knowing that God does not make mistakes. They got the room and found a 'little bundle' (as Mom called her) desperately ill. They told of God's amazing grace and then prayed for her. Dad had the terrible experience of feeling someone scratching hard on his back whilst praying. He said it was an attack of the Devil. There was nobody. He rebuked Satan and then prayed the prayer of faith (to the scorn of some of the by-standers). The lady was miraculously healed and one week later they visited her and ministered the Word of Truth to her. They followed up and visited the lady who was fully recovered from her sickness.

One other great working of God, just to encourage you, if you are a believer, that God does answer prayer, 'and the prayer of faith shall save the sick.'

Our younger brother, Norman, came home from school one day and told Mom that the children from the plot next door were crying at school. Mom walked across the field to find if she could be of assistance. There she found a desperately ill Mr. Kruger. Having been discharged from hospital 'to die at home'.

Mom ministered to them and asked if she and Dad could call later. (Brentwood Park days 1947)

Dad got home and after hearing about the sick man, they spent time in prayer, and walked across to the next plot. There they ministered to the family, prayed for the sick man, dying of stomach cancer. This was Tuesday, on Friday of that week Mr. Kruger was up and about and within days was driving his newly acquired Chevrolet Taxi, in Benoni. That was in 1947, and just a few years ago, probably in 2000, I enquired after Mr Kruger and he was still there, 90 something years old.

In those days, during and immediately after the war, many families were poor and struggling. An as example of the faith our parents had, let me quote an incident or two. 

Only brown bread was allowed and available. (Home bakers like Mom and others were not allowed to sift the brown flour.) For a time white bread was rationed and only available from the bakery on Wednesdays and one loaf per family.

We lived in Brentwood Park about 8 kms from Benoni. One Wednesday Dad sent me to Benoni to Eley's bakery with a large paper bag. I found myself in a large group of people waiting for their rations. Mr Eley suddenly called out 'the boy with white hair' and then took my packet and put seven loaves into it and said 'gee dit vir jou pa' ('Give it to your father.') On arrival at home mother took the loaves and divided them between several neighbours. Mr, Eley never took any money from me as I recall. 

(When Dad aggravated Mother she told him he was from the 'slagters nek' se Bezuidenhout's. I hope you took History at school.)

Our father's family I know very little about. However I shall record that which I do know. Dad was born on the 17th May 1904.

Dad's father was struck by lightning and died, whilst in the garden picking peas for his boy. Dad was six years old, 1910 when that happened.

Then Dad was placed in an orphanage in the Magaliesburg area. He grew up there and learnt about the carpentry trade, at which he also worked for many years.

He had an older brother, Willem, who married Aunt Bettie, and they had two daughters and a son. Oom Willem was a train driver. 

After Dad's father's demise his mother, Ouma, married a Mr. van Zyl, and they had two sons, namely Andrew (André)and Cornelius (oom Corrie), the latter lived and celebrated ninety one years of age. He and his wife, aunt Louise are in the same old age home. Oom Corrie passed away in 2008. I do remember them from my childhood days. I do keep in touch with their son Willem.

Uncle Andrew was an ardent member of the Salvation Army and later became a pastor in the Full Gospel Church. At one time pastoring the Kempton Park assembly. Aunt Julia his wife was a lovely lady and they had 3 daughters, namely, Jeanette, Avril and Glynnis.

They also adopted two children, Charnette and Michael.

Our mother's family history we have going back to 1800. (I have a family tree)

Her maiden name was Anna Margeretha Gombart. A German line, and she was born on the 19 March 1898.

Her father Guido Wilhelm Julius Gombart, was known to us and he was a fine gentleman indeed.

Mom had two brothers and two sisters namely, in order of age:

Norman. Guido. Constance and Florence.

Norman married Hester? and they had a son.

Guido never married. Served in the 1939-45 war. Died about 1957.

Constance married Koos Bosman and had a daughter, Annatjie.

Later she remarried Koos Burger and they had a son.

Aunt Florence married Mr Scottie Lowe and they had two sons and a daughter.

The older son Peter was a medical doctor of note. Errol was a Lawyer.

Mother's first husband Mr. de Witt died in an accident. However there were two sons born to them, namely Frederick Christoffel (Dick or Fred as he was later known) and Guido Wilhelm Julius. To us kids known as 'Jukes' but better known as Guido in the outside world. 

Dick married Magrietta de Klerk and they had four children, Maureen, Fred, Veronica and Ivor. These were all very lovely folks. I still have contact with Maureen periodically.

Julius married Mona Smit and they had four children. 

Guido, Fred, Marius Linda. (Linda is the only one I know that has Ginger hair like Ouma: our mother.)

Julius spent a number of years in the ministry of the Full Gospel and Independent churches. He died in 2001.

Mona is still alive at the time of writing this record. She lives with Linda and family.

Subsequent to the death of Mother's first husband she married our father, Pieter Jacobus Nicholas Bezuidenhout.

Our family comprised five sons and a daughter.

Willem, Piet, John, Anna, Norman & Stephen. 

Third in line is the writer: John Leonard, Born on the 19 December 1930, in Brakpan. Schooled in Brakpan, Kommando skool then in Benoni Saamwerk and Blik skool.

There a Mrs Marassas, my teacher in standard 5 made a lasting impression of grace and kindness upon my heart. To this day I remember fondly her grace.

Then we moved to Kempton Park and I attended the local school for a year and thereafter off to Voortrekker High in Boksburg. Finished in 1947 (none the wiser).

However, in 1942 while still in Benoni, at 97 Woburn avenue, my friends,the Lotters, all Salvationists, invited me to Sunday afternoon school.

My Dad who was in the ministry and who was himself 'saved' in the Salvation Army, agreed that I could go along. That afternoon an Englishman Major Charles John Wood told of the love of God and His saving grace and then made the appeal, 'is there a boy or a girl here who would like to give their life to Jesus?' Well, I was the only one who raised my hand. (There were some sniggers heard, 'dis ou Johnnie.') The Major asked me to come and kneel at the Penitent form. Where a young lady, named Kima Wilson, in uniform, told me of the love of the Lord for me and told me of the importance of knowing and living for Jesus. I made the decision and she led me in a prayer and then had me sign a decision card, which card I still have today.(5th July, 1942) 'O happy day when Jesus took my sins away. He taught me how to watch and pray, and keep rejoicing everyday.'

I joined the band and very soon played the Flugel horn in the Open air meetings as well as in the services.

I always remembered the name Kima Wilson, and often tried to find information about her. I even tried the SA headquarters in England, all to no avail. However, in March, 2008, through a radio phone-in program, organized by the S Army. I was put in touch with Kima, now Kima Bartlett.

The lady is now 88 years old and full of the joy of the Lord. She is overwhelmed with the story of me tracing her to say thank you for leading me to Jesus. We have since spoken on the phone and I have sent her some of my ministry CDs. Her eyesight is bad so I can't send mail. 

I married Helen Kroeger 7th November 1951 and that's how I finished up in Natal.

Helen's father died in a railway accident when she about 8 years old. 

Her mother ran a boarding house to provide for the family.

There were two sons namely Charles, who married Dorothy Horne and they had 

three sons, namely Alvin who married Patricia Spence.

Neville, whom I think lives in the USA, and Roy of whom I know little. A keen guitarist and singer. 

I do have contact with Alvin and Pat and love them dearly.